


Romeo and Julian

by heartsflush



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: (sort of), Drunken Shenanigans, Other, Theatre, cute overdramatic fools being cute and overdramatic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 17:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15029576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsflush/pseuds/heartsflush
Summary: Asra smiled back. “It was an idea they came up with at the Raven after a few too many bitters, I think. Basically, they’re reworking an old play and performing as the leads. Knowing them, it’s just an excuse to be dramatic.”Portia laughed. “I don’t know how they got someone to sponsor it.”“Nadi paid for it entirely out of pocket. Apparently, she’s a sucker for a good love story.”--Asra enjoys a night of theatre, written by a certain couple with a flair for the dramatic.





	Romeo and Julian

**Author's Note:**

> hey it's my birthday so that means i get to be self-indulgent
> 
> anyway this was mostly an excuse for me to write alexis and julian being theatre nerds together bc god damn i need that in my life
> 
> creds to willy shakes for letting me borrow a few of his words
> 
> enjoy

The house of the Vesuvia Community Theatre building was buzzing with chatter as Asra slid into his seat. Faust curled up on his shoulder as he sat down, and he smiled gently at her as she blinked slowly.

“Are you excited, Faust?” he asked, laying the program on his lap. “We finally get to see Alexis act again.”

Faust nodded. _“Play!”_

Asra laughed. “Yes, I’m told they wrote it themselves this time. Or mostly wrote, something like that.”

He felt someone sit down next to him and turned to see Portia smiling at him. “Hey Asra,” she greeted. “Can you tell me what’s going on? Ilya just told me to come and offered no further explanation.”

Asra smiled back. “It was an idea they came up with at the Raven after a few too many bitters, I think. Basically, they’re reworking an old play and performing as the leads. Knowing them, it’s just an excuse to be dramatic.”

Portia laughed. “I don’t know how they got someone to sponsor it.”

“Nadi paid for it entirely out of pocket. Apparently, she’s a sucker for a good love story.”

Asra leaned back in his seat as the house lights began to dim. The conversations stilled to silence as the grand curtain drew apart, revealing the stage and its actors. A single spotlight illuminated a bard who quickly tuned their lute and gave an experimental strum, then sat on a stool beside the proscenium.

“Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene…”

As the bard spoke, the actors on the stage began to move around and act out their words silently. Asra noticed Alexis in an ornate costume on the left side of the stage, then glanced to the right to see Julian in an equally decorated outfit.

“Are they…?” Portia whispered under her breath.

Asra smiled as the pair made their way to the center of the stage, joining their hands as the bard spoke the words “star-cross’d lovers”.

“I think they are,” he whispered back.

As the bard finished their monologue, the actors left the stage one by one until only Alexis and Julian were left. At last, they finally parted, casting their gazes at each other once more before exiting. Then, the lights went up, and two new actors entered from the right.

“Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.”

 

The play continued, and as it did, Asra was gradually impressed by the sheer effort Alexis and Julian had put into it. He’d known that Alexis was never one to half-ass shenanigans, but this took it to a new level. As they entered the scene, he smiled, seeing their face light up as Julian appeared in the balcony above.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” Alexis spoke, casting their gaze to him. “It is the east, and Julian is the sun!”

They continued with the monologue, and the expression on Julian’s face was nothing short of adoration. Portia snickered softly next to Asra and whispered, “I don’t think Ilya’s acting.”

“I don’t think Alexis is, either,” Asra replied.

_“Love!”_ Faust said in his ear.

On the stage, Julian stretched his hand towards Alexis. “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?” he said. “Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.”

Alexis turned to look at the audience. They seemed to find exactly where Asra was sitting in the darkness and smiled at him.

“Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?”

They continued the dialogue, gazing at each other with looks of pure, true love. Alexis leaned against the set, crossing one leg over the other. Asra had seen this posture many times before; whenever Alexis stood like that, they were thinking about something they loved. He smiled, happy that they’d included that little piece of themselves in the play.

“Good night, good night!” Julian exclaimed, extending his arm toward Alexis once again. “Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

Alexis reached for his hand, and their fingers brushed for the smallest moment before Julian left the stage.

“Wow, they really aren’t acting, are they?” asked Portia in a whisper.

 

After five acts of love, action, and flashy costumes, the scene changed to the churchyard, and Asra knew it was soon to be over. As Alexis fought the actor playing Paris (who was dressed suspiciously like Count Lucio, he noted), he observed how natural the fight choreography looked in their limbs.

“You know they learned how to actually fence when they met Lucio?” Asra whispered to Portia as the fight ended.

“What, really?” Portia replied.

Asra nodded. “They met him for the first time, and when we got home, they said ‘I need to learn how to use a sword for real. That man needs to be taken down a peg.’”

Portia stifled a laugh as Alexis monologued, holding a flask of poison in their hands. “Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!” they exclaimed, a determined anguish coating their words. “Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! Here's to my love!”

Alexis downed the poison, then shuddered. “O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.”

With that, they collapsed to the ground, letting the flask roll from their hand. Moments later, Julian woke up, and Asra couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as he noticed Alexis’s body on the floor.

“What’s here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand?” Julian asked, his voice wavering. “Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end!”

Asra glanced to Portia as he continued his lines; he smiled when he saw her trying not to cry. “Are you alright?” he whispered.

“I’m fine, there’s just something in my eye,” Portia replied.

“What’s in your eye?” Asra asked as Julian kissed Alexis.

_“Tears,_ ” Portia answered.

Asra laughed and returned his focus to the stage as Julian picked up Alexis’s dagger.

“Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief.” Julian raised the dagger to his heart and looked to the sky. “O, happy dagger! This is thy sheath,” he said as he stabbed himself, “there rust, and let me die.”

He then collapsed onto Alexis’s body, prompting a sniffle from Portia. Faust slithered off of his shoulder and onto her arm, squeezing her in comfort. As the actors said their final lines, Portia wiped her eyes and sat up straighter.

“They’d better get a standing ovation.”

The Prince, standing at center stage, gestured to their bodies as he spoke. “Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things; some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: For never was a story of more woe than this of Julian and his Romeo.”

With that, the curtain closed, and the audience applauded thunderously. The curtain opened again to an empty stage, and one by one, the actors came out and took their bows. Each one got several cheers, but when Alexis and Julian entered together, the audience went wild.

Asra stood and applauded as Alexis took their bow, meeting their eyes when they stood back up. They gave him a huge grin, then turned to Julian as he took his bow. As he stood again, he caught a bouquet of flowers that was thrown at him, then took one out and gave it to Alexis. They rolled their eyes, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“They’re so romantic it hurts,” Portia said over the applause, clapping her hands furiously.

“I mean, really,” Asra replied as the company took a bow together. “I don’t think I’ve seen a more romantic version of this play.”

As the curtains closed, Portia turned to Asra. “Will you tell them to wait at the stage doors? I need to go get them flowers. And they need to be _good_ flowers.”

Asra smiled. “Of course.”

 

A crowd was gathered at the stage doors by the time Asra got there. He looked over the peoples’ heads to see Alexis, elbows full with gifts, trying their best to sign autographs. Behind them, Julian was animatedly talking to someone.

“Thank you so much for coming, Mazelinka!” Alexis said, handing a program back to an elderly woman wrapped in a shawl. “It means a lot to me and Julian that you’d come see us.”

“Well, if I know anything about that boy, he’d never shut up about it if I didn’t,” the woman replied. “Plus, it’s nice to get out once in a while.”

Alexis grinned. “Indeed. Well, I hope to see you soon!”

As the woman left, Asra took her place. “You were fantastic, Alexis,” he said as they handed some of their flowers to Julian.

Alexis’s face lit up as they saw him. “Hey, Asra! I’m so happy you came!”

“Of course I did,” he replied. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

They inched as close as they could to him as they tried to give him a hug. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around them, feeling Faust move from his shoulders to theirs. “I was told to make you wait here,” he mentioned as he pulled away.

Alexis tilted their head in confusion. “Why?”

“Ilya! Alexis!”

The pair turned their heads to see Portia approaching with a giant bouquet in each hand. “You two were _phenomenal!_ ” she exclaimed, shoving the flowers in their direction. “And forgive me for saying so, but I don’t think you had to act very much to get the feeling across.”

Julian’s cheeks flushed. “Well, the best acting comes from real life, you know,” he replied.

“It helps when you really love your costar,” Alexis added, leaning on Julian.

Faust perked her head up from their shoulders. _“Squeeze!”_

“Er, no thank you!” Julian said, nearly dropping his flowers.

Asra chuckled. “She’s just happy to see you, Ilya.”

“Right, of course.” Julian straightened up, then smiled softly at Alexis. “I couldn’t have done it without Alexis, though.”

“Oh, hush,” Alexis replied, brushing him off. “Hey, we’re heading to the Raven for drinks. Wanna tag along?” they asked, turning to Asra and Portia.

“Well, _someone’s_ gotta keep an eye on you two,” Portia answered. “If I don’t, you might write a masterpiece.”

“Is that a bad thing, Pasha?” Julian asked jokingly. He was rewarded with a punch on the arm.

“I think I’ll pass on this one,” Asra said, placing a hand on Alexis’s shoulder. “You did amazing, once again.”

Alexis smiled, and Faust made her way back to Asra’s shoulders. “Thanks for coming, Asra. Really. It means a lot.”

Asra returned their smile with one of his own. “Don’t stay out too late. You know how Faust gets when you’re away for too long.”

“I won’t,” Alexis said. “Good night, Asra.”

With that, they turned back to Julian and gave him a kiss.

“You ready to get rowdy?”

Asra smiled and turned around, just barely hearing Julian’s response.

“Always ready, love.”


End file.
